Mass spectrometers typically utilize multiple ion lenses for extraction, guiding, and focusing of ions along a desired path. Generally described, an ion lens consists of one or more electrodes to which a static or dynamic potential is applied, thereby establishing an electrical field that influences the direction of ion movement. In order to ensure that a mass spectrometer is operating correctly, or to diagnose the cause of malfunction, it is desirable to provide verification to the operator that the ion lenses are receiving the correct potential. In mass spectrometer systems that constitute the prior art, it is known to employ a read-back circuit to confirm that an ion lens driver is operating correctly, and to sense shorts to ground or to another ion lens. However, such read-back circuits are unable to determine if the voltage produced by the driver does not reach the corresponding ion lens, which is clearly desirable to insure that the ion lens is working properly. One current method used to make this determination is by configuring an additional wire from the ion lens back to the read-back circuit. Apart from being a cumbersome and costly solution, this technique is undesirable, as it requires additional wiring inserted through a manifold wall via feed-through pins, which introduces more hardware and increases cost.
In view of the foregoing discussion, it would be advantageous to develop an effective solution for determining whether an ion lens located within a mass spectrometer is receiving the correct potential while avoiding the need to add feed-throughs or otherwise increase complexity and cost.